Capt. Jerry Dilsaver grew up on the same Southport, N.C. waterfront that author Robert Ruark so finely detailed in his book, The Old Man and the Boy. His father, who was a shrimper and later a boat captain for the local river pilots association, helped foster a love of fishing in the coastal rivers and ocean, which is still going strong.

After completing a degree at the University of North Carolina and East Carolina University, Capt. Dilsaver returned to his native North Carolina coast, started Carolina Adventure Magazine, and became a partner in Carolina Adventure Publishing Company.

The Raleigh based News and Observer Newspaper purchased Carolina Adventure in late 1991 and began publishing it in January of 1992. Capt. Dilsaver signed on with the new owners to become the Saltwater Editor and Central NC Coast Regional Editor.

In April 2002, Capt. Dilsaver left Carolina Adventure to become a Staff Writer and Special Events Coordinator for North Carolina Sportsman Magazine. With the beginning of South Carolina Sportsman Magazine in 2006, Capt. Dilsaver also assumed the responsibilities of being a Staff Writer and the Special Events Coordinator for this sister publication. In 2006, Capt. Dilsaver also became a regular contributor and columnist for FLW Outdoors Saltwater Magazine.

In the declining economy of early 2009, Capt. Dilsaver was downsized by Sportsman Publishing, but he continues to write for the magazines on a part-time basis and assist on special projects. He continues to do this, plus limited assignments for other publications and weekly columns in The State Port Pilot Newspaper (Southport, NC) and Carteret News-Times Newspaper (Morehead City, NC).

Fishing has always been a passion for Capt. Dilsaver. Beginning in 1987, he became a sponsored competitor in North Carolina king mackerel tournaments. His successes started to mount up and with the inception of the Southern Kingfish Association (SKA) in 1991, he immediately became a top competitor in their yearly series. By the mid 1990's he had recorded successes in king mackerel tournaments from the Gulf of Mexico to Virginia.

With numerous top five Divisional and Open placings, Capt. Dilsaver has qualified for the SKA National Championship every year that he has been a member. While fishing in the SKA National Championship twelve times, he has recorded one win, three top ten and four top twenty finishes.

With 1998 as the inaugural year of the U.S. Anglers Association and its king mackerel tournament trail, Capt. Dilsaver led his crew to the Top Overall Placing and garnered "Angler of the Year" honors for their effort. In 1999 they fell just a few points shy of a repeat and had to settle for the Runner-Up position. However, they backed this up with Fourth Place in the "Best 3 of 4 Competition" and landed the Second Largest King Mackerel from their Northern Region. Continuing with that same consistency, their 2000 season produced a Third Place Overall and Fifth Place in the Top Team Competition.
 

During the 2000 season, Capt. Dilsaver also returned to SKA competition on a limited schedule. In 2001, he returned to a full schedule of SKA competition as if on a mission. After leading his fishing team to several high tournament placings and a Third Place Finish in SKA Division 3, they traveled to Ft. Pierce, Florida for the SKA National Championship, where they captured the win and title "2001 National Champions".

In 2003, Capt. Dilsaver and the NC Sportsman Fishing Team finished the season with a flourish. Citing rough weather, they only fished one of three possible days in the US Anglers Association Championship and used his 235 KenCraft Challenger, even though competing in a class for boats 24 feet and longer. Capt. Dilsaver and crew finished in Tenth Place in that class and would have finished in Second Place in the 23 feet and Under Class.

During 2004, Capt. Dilsaver and crew fished close to home and scored several good placing in area tournaments. These combined to score a Fifth Place finish in SKA Division 12, while weighing only two of a possible three fish.

Experimenting with inshore tournaments during 2004, Capt. Dilsaver teamed with Mercruiser Representative Mark Skeen and Capt. Rick "Rodman" Bennett to capture Second Place Overall in the Cape Fear Red-Trout Celebrity Classic, held at Wrightsville Beach, NC. Team member Mark Skeen also received an award for the Most Drum caught during the tournament by an individual.

In 2005 SKA competition, Capt. Dilsaver and crew finished in 9th place in division 12, despite only fishing 3 of the 4 tournaments. They then journeyed to Ft. Pierce, Fla. to compete in the SKA National Championship, but it was postponed until April 2006 due to bad weather. Unfortunately their work schedules prohibited them from returning for the rescheduled dates.

During 2005, Capt. Dilsaver also joined the Alan Vester Automotive Fishing Team where they scored a 10th Place Overall finish in the inaugural Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour and then placed in 11th place during the Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour Championship Tournament.

For 2006, Capt. Dilsaver was selected to lead the Seaswirl Fishing Team for the Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour and Series and the SKA Divisional Series. Team Seaswirl finished in the money several times during the Tour, but was unable to weigh a fish in the final tournament and slipped from the qualifiers for the FLW Tour Championship. Team Seaswirl qualified for and participated in the SKA Championship in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Beginning in 2007, Capt. Dilsaver has enjoyed several years of semi-retirement from tournament fishing. Since then he has competed in a handful of king mackerel tournaments and red drum tournaments while enjoying many days of "fun" fishing.

On August 1, 2007, Capt. Dilsaver was inducted into the SKA Hall of Fame. The voting for this honor is by the members of the SKA and Capt. Dilsaver is extremely pleased and grateful his fellow competitors selected him for this honor.

For 2008, Capt. Dilsaver was selected to the Pro-Staff Team for the Sea Pro line of the Bluewater Boat Group division of Brunswick Products, Inc. He offered boating and fishing seminars at participating dealers and assisted with product development of the Bluewater Boat Group lines. On the competition side of things, he again enjoyed a year of semi-retirement by concentrating on several king mackerel tournaments close to home and the Redfish Action Challenge and Crystal Coast Fishing Association Redfish Trails in N.C. While only competing in a couple of king mackerel tournaments, Capt. Dilsaver caught the largest king by a member of the Oak Island Fishing Club during 2008.

For 2009, Capt. Dilsaver again enjoyed a year of limited tournament fishing. He conducted numerous boating and fishing seminars at boat dealers, tackle shops and in community recreation departments and served as Pro-Staff advisory for several fishing tackle and equipment companies. During this year he assisted Blue Water Promotions with their North Carolina King Mackerel and Offshore Fishing Tournaments. He also guided kayak fishing trips for The Adventure Company in Southport, NC.

In February 2010, Capt. Dilsaver was selected to become a member of the Hobie Kayaks Fishing Team for the Southeast U.S. He had planned to remain semi-retired from tournament fishing, but will participate in a few kayak tournaments, plus several SKA tournaments and area redfish tournaments. He will again conduct boating and fishing seminars at boat dealers, tackle shops and in community recreation departments and assist Blue Water Promotions with several of their fishing tournaments. For 2010, Capt. Dilsaver will assist with kayak fishing trips through The Adventure Company and Southport Angler Outfitters in Southport.

While Capt. Dilsaver's tournament success is impressive, it is his dedication to the sport of fishing and helping beginning anglers develop successful skills and techniques that really set him apart from the crowd. He spends approximately 60 days each year conducting seminars, manning booths at fishing and outdoor shows, giving in-store product demonstrations, and otherwise promoting saltwater fishing.

Add a handful of tournaments each year to this and it is extremely easy to see why so many fishing related businesses have chosen to support Capt. Dilsaver as their "Fishing Ambassador". He is supported in his efforts by Hobie Kayaks, Bay Rider Boats, Mercury Outboards, Sea Striker, Star Rods, Penn Reels, Power-Pole, Lowrance, Betts Tackle Ltd., Fish-Ng Accessories, Eagle Claw Hooks, MirrOlure, Saltwater Assassin, D.O.A. Lures, Maps Unique, ProChips, GillzShirts and Capps Promotions.

In addition, Capt. Dilsaver is a working member of the outdoor press. He is a member in good standing of the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) and the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association (SEOPA). He a Contributing Writer for North Carolina Sportsman Magazine, South Carolina Sportsman Magazine, the Fishing Columnist for the Carteret County News-Times Newspaper, the Outdoor Columnist for the State Port Pilot Newspaper and a noted freelance writer and still photographer, with credits in numerous publications.

Capt. Dilsaver also serves in a volunteer capacity on the Southeast Regional Advisory Committee for the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission, On the Advisory Committee for the UNC Sea Grant Fishery Resource Grants, on the Advisory Board for the North Carolina Saltwater Fishing Tournament for the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, and on the Board of Directors for the Long Bay Artificial Reef Association. He served as Tournament Director for the King of the Cape Classic King Mackerel Tournament from 2002 through 2007 and on the Long Bay Lady Angler Tournament Committee from 2005-2008. Furthermore, he maintains an information web site, www.captjerry.com, which offers fishing tips, current fishing reports, and more.

When you attend a seminar given by Capt. Dilsaver, expect to learn a lot of When's, Where's, What's, Why's, and How's. His knowledge is based on over 30 years of recreational fishing, 20 years of tournament fishing, several years as a commercial fisherman, and is tempered by more than 15 years of instructing fishing in various formats. Drawing from his many years of fishing the southeast coast, he will often refer to your favorite waters with knowledge that can only have come from personal experience. Don't hesitate to ask questions--he welcomes them.